Frustrated clubs finally get their teeth into state of football in Cork

THE state of Cork football is exercising the minds of the county's Board executive and delegates once again.

A 'hugely well attended' meeting of Cork GAA's county committee Tuesday was devoted in its entirety to an open discussion and debate on all aspects of Cork football. The meeting ran for over three hours.

CEO Kevin O'Donovan had pledged an open discussion once Cork were out of all football championships. Media are no longer welcome to cover the meetings, but a bulletin issued Wednesday confirmed there was a 'brief review' of the previous five-year plan from 2019 to 2024, with the CEO supportive of it and its aspirations.

That vision began promisingly with All-Ireland minor and Under 20 titles in Year 1, but thereafter, Cork has fallen further and further behind at under age level, with question marks over coaching and football philosophies. The 'Corkness' espoused as a positive in the document is now viewed more often in a pejorative context. Cork schools have struggled to make any impact at Munster colleges level, prompting suggestions that regional 'pods' should be considered to upweight efforts in key areas of the county.

There's been no Cork winner of the Corn Uí Mhuirí since 2011 and none in the U17 Frewen Cup 2016. The irony won't be lost that the winners in both instances, Coláiste Chríost Rí, is now competing at Senior B level in the province.

Previously Kevin O'Donovan told a Chamber breakfast in the city that the code needs some "dangerous ideas" to rouse it from its slumber. One of those was to consider competing in Leinster in some grades. The idea was floated Tuesday night of taking part in Leinster's U17 football league prior to competing in the Munster Championship.

That said, Cork are strongly in support of a Munster Council proposal tabled recently to seed the top two counties from the League for the following year's senior championship. Similar recommendations have been made around the under age grades. Cork will attend a meeting with Munster chiefs on July 22 to discuss the formats for the U17 and U20 championships with a view to introducing a more equitable round-robin format.

At a spring meeting of the Board, Carbery delegate Tom Lyons (Clonakilty) demanded a full discussion and change. "We have been doing the same thing for the last 10 years, more or less. The development squads aren't working, they are not producing. Everything needs to be discussed. The famous five-year (2019-24) plan, we still haven't had a discussion on the aspirations in that.”

Tuesday's meeting debated a breadth of topics, from the Cork seniors to adult and U21 competition structures, to under age across minor and the development squads which are fundamental to the future wellbeing of the game in Cork. Whether those development squads are progressing in all the right areas is an important issue, though at senior level, the conditioning of the Cork squad in this year's championships was markedly improved on previous campaigns. Primary and post-primary schools and coaching was a hot button topic at the meeting, as was the development of coaches.

Naturally, a regional flavour occasionally colours these discussions. It was noted Tuesday that there was only one city club represented in the minor panel this campaign despite the fact that three city clubs were involved in the Premier 1 finals at U16 level last year.

Said Cork PRO Ger O'Sullivan: "The volume and extent of commentary and observations noted throughout the meeting was such that, rather than issue a regular post-meeting bulletin, Cork GAA will instead develop a more detailed and considered report, which will issue in a week's time, and will be published on www.gaacork.ie."

An appointments committee has also been set up from members of the Board's executive to look at management appointments for the future. Senior football boss John Cleary has not indicated yet whether he wishes to continue into a fifth season in charge. Ray O'Mahony's term as U20 manager is done while Keith Ricken is due to remain in charge of the county's minor footballers in 2026.

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